Get Well Soon
by SagaPony612
Summary: Theodore J. Valiant, a name so well-known and yet he's a man that nobody really wants to talk about. The poor guy really went through a-lot leading up to his horrible passing but nobody knew the pain he went through. What were his tragic final hours truly like and more importantly what is the one phrase you say to two brothers who give up everything for each other? One-Shot.
**The following is a fan-based project. Who Framed Roger Rabbit characters are owned by Disney, I only own the story itself. Please support the official release.
**

 **Get Well Soon:**

I opened my eyes for the first time in days. The only thing I could remember before that moment was my brother Eddie, screaming. But I figured it was just a horrible nightmare.

"Shouldn't I be in the office?" I looked down and noticed I was lying down on a hospital floor, I was confused but eventually got up.

"How did I get here and how do I get out." I paused and let my thoughts consume me. Finally I was hit by a realization,

"EDDIE!"

I charged like a bullet through the hospital. At the time I only remembered one thing, one moment that could mean the difference between life and death.

My brother and I had been Cartoon Private Investigators for almost 4 years and I had been easing my older twin brother into dating for about 1 and half. We weren't the richest men in the world but half the time I was so focused on putting things together I didn't care. When I wasn't reading, filing taxes, or annoying the daylights out of my brother I'd be the one to cover him up at night on days when he partied a bit too much or just got tired. Me and him had been in Toon-Town (the literal definition of a crazed mad house) investigating a series of robberies and that's all I knew (or remembered) about that particular case. For once I seemed to get the short end of the stick. This made my panic worse and worse as I tried to locate my older brother. However as I kept running on and on, memories returned to me. Memories I wish I could forget.

" _Eddie, why didn't you let me read the case file this time or take the phone call before we left on our trip!"_

" _You were busy and I figured I'd cut you a break."_

" _Answering phone calls is my job and where was Dolores when all this happened."  
_

" _Packing."_

" _For what Eddie?"_

" _Stuff for vacation what else Teddy?"_

" _Oh my lord, I was just at the store I could have packed! How come you just now told me about this?"_

" _I didn't want to bother you with work crap until we got back."_

 _I groaned and let out a sigh. I looked back at my brother with a stern expression before finally giving in._

" _Alright Eddie but after this you owe me a drink. Deal?"  
_

 _"No alcohol right." Eddie replied with a mocking grin._

" _Just because you like the taste and I don't doesn't mean you have to mock me over it. But thanks for actually asking this time."_

 _After that I heard something above my head, swinging left and right like a hangman's noose. I felt scared and (by force of habit) held on tighter to my brother's hand._

" _Eddie do you hear anything?"_

" _Teddy you know these alley-ways can get a bit weird, don't lose sleep over it."_

 _I looked up and saw something right above us, sweat began to drip down my forehead and I was paralyzed by fear. I followed it and it was nearing Eddie. My breathing became slow and heavy. My vision was split in two directions, up toward the object and east to my brother. Sweat began to pile up on my palm as my brother turned around and faced me.  
_

" _Teddy what's with the paranoid stare?"  
_

" _MOVE!"_

 _I shoved him out of the way and I felt at least 500 pounds of force collide against my spine. I screamed with agony and felt blood pour out of my mouth. I slid down the road and the rope burn torn open my arms and legs. The last thing I saw before blacking out was Eddie struggling to pick me up from under a mess of piano keys and him tripping over a pile of blood and getting knocked out._

" _Eddie," I coughed "Eddie," I blacked out "are you okay?"_

Those memories stayed with me as I ran through the hospital. The physical condition I was in had been drastically different from that of my memories.

"Maybe I got drunk or something."

After a while I slowed down and saw a single door. The door was open and I slipped in as a nurse ran out quickly. I was shocked that I had gone unnoticed but I turned my attention to the room. In that moment I was sure the building was a hospital. I could tell due to how sad and miserable everything seemed to be. The curtains blew in the wind as I tried finding anyone in the room. I heard heavy breathing and that was my sign to get moving. I walked deeper into the room and I looked at the man sleeping on the bed. His entire body was covered in bandages except maybe his face but it had so many bruises I almost thought the poor man was inhuman. However despite that, his shape and body felt familiar. After that I turned right and saw a man lying down on the bed next door. He was in a cast and seemed pretty depressed. I walked over to him and was relieved to see it was my brother.

"Eddie, thank god!" I was crying as I tried to hug him but instead I fell to the floor. I crashed against the floor as Eddie shivered.

"Wait, what the heck?"

I tried to hug him again but it had the same result, I fell right through Eddie's stomach. I was terrified of two things,

Firstly, I just saw half of my brother's internal organs and secondly I couldn't even hold him. Needless to say I was rather disturbed. I stood up one more time and tried to hug him again but before I could, I heard Eddie whisper.

"Theodore, it should have been me. You didn't have to _**die.**_ "

I took a step back and returned my gaze to the other man. He was in a horrible pain and agony and showed so many signs of my own memories. I stared at my own body, I had to be sure. My skin was a pale, pale white. I looked in the mirror and noticed 10 million bags under my eyes as well how underweight I looked. As one final test I tried to rub my eyes...but I couldn't.

"No." I yelled, "I can't be, I won't accept this! I have to be alive!"

I screamed in fear and tried desperately to return to my body. My spirit tried to fall back into's place but as I would come to realize, bringing back the near dead was no easy feat. Finally after a great deal of effort I managed to return to my body. My heart-beat suddenly became the greatest sound in the history of the universe as air flew through me lungs. I was almost overcome with a strange fusion of joy and shock as I began to cough up blood. My eyes looked east as Eddie whipped around his bed. I could almost make put fresh tears of joy in his eyes.

"Eddie, can you hear me?" I said as best I could. Eddie turned around and looked at me, I smiled back at him. He was crying right along with me as I felt at such peace in that one moment. I was struggling to breath but what mattered is that I was alive. "Hey you brat, I'm the one cries around here." I whispered, trying not to waste my breath.

"Thank god. Are you doing any better?" Eddie asked; his hands clinging to my chest as is if he was about to drown.

"I don't know Eddie, I might be able to snatch a cute red head if you help me stand up!" I yelled jokingly.

"Even paralyzed from the neck down in the hospital you refuse to stop annoying the crap out of me."

I laughed a little as my brother rolled his eyes. I still felt sore all over but I didn't care. Seeing my brother smile calmed me down greatly almost to the point where the pain in my thighs and backside didn't matter.

"Eddie I'm sorry about your arm."

"You're joking right?"

"No."

"You're the one whose entire body is wrapped in a heap of bandage tape. By brotherly law I ban you for apologizing for my arm!"

"Since when?" I asked.

"Since now."

I was tempted to try and get up but when I did I felt a sharp pain race down my back, forcing me to lay down again. It hurt but I was so happy to be alive I didn't care.

"So how bad is the hospital bill?"

"Everything from your chest down was crushed by a piano what do you expect?"

"I would like to have a bit more information than that."

"Well besides your back almost being snapped in two and my broken arm they also said the rope burn on your legs is enough keep you in here for two weeks as it is.

"It's on me." I said.

"No it isn't."

"You paid that time I went here for my broken leg."

"When we were 24."

"Doesn't matter."

My legs fell asleep and a looming sense of doom began to consume me as I slowly turned left. I saw a small "get well soon" card and a bouquet of flowers perched on the desk. I smiled and turned back to my brother.

"Dolores right?"

"Isn't it always?"

"You two really are a good couple."

"Theodore J. Valiant I swear to God if you,"

"I can see it now,"

"Good lord."

"Mr. & Mrs. Valiant, a family of five living in small Hollywood home."

"Shut it."

"The proposal was so romantic that it made even the biggest sour-pusses hearts melt,"

"Cut it out."

"The story will be told to the grandchildren and once death takes both of you, you shall dance for all eternity."

"Are you trying to be the new William Shakespeare or something?"

"I try." I paused "I bet you money she'll say yes if you ask her."

"Fine, $200 bucks at the altar, deal?"

"Fine by me."

"Yeah, and you can save that 200 hundred bucks too because I'll be dead before she says yes. She's too good for me and she knows it."

"You never give yourself enough credit besides I still think you've got it. You've been dating for what, a year."

I gave Eddie a stupid grin and he groaned. He looked both ways to see if Dolores had come to visit at all.

"If this plan goes into motion, I'm banning you from speaking when she enters the office."

"My lips are sealed dearest brother."

We piped down, I think he knew I couldn't talk too much. I noticed something about my body, to be more specific how my insides felt. It felt as if something was trying to claw its way free from my beaten body. I knew it was probably my soul but I tried to ignore it. I looked at my hand and tried to unwrap it. When I did I saw my hand was burned mess and was as red as a cherry pie. Fresh dry blood was starting dry and become almost crystal-like on my finger. I wanted to throw up but it was very likely my stomach could only handle soft liquids at the time.

"Yeah it's pretty bad isn't it?"

"No kidding."

Eddie helped reapply the bandage to my hand as I went back into a sleeping position. I was tired but I refused to sleep. I knew if I did I could risk falling into a coma…or worse. I turned to my brother as he was heading back to his hospital bed.

"Eddie, do you worry about death?"

"Okay you're getting philosophical on me, what's up."

"Well, I was on death row a minute ago and it scared me. Have you ever feared me dying, what would you do if I did?"

"Do you know how many times I internally screamed for you when we were younger?"

"A lot right?"

"Yep, that hasn't changed Teddy and you know it won't change any time soon. I love you for a reason."

"Twins have to stick together. Besides Eddie, when we walk the road to heaven we'll do it together," I paused "I promise."

"Yeah thanks."

"No problem."

I felt a sudden halt of all motion in my heart. I knew what it meant but tried to deny it, however I also realized something. After a promise like that, I couldn't be around to see my brother mourn my own loss.

"Hey Eddie can you try and get the nurse or something, I think I might need some water or something." I manage to get out.

"Yeah, just hang tight." He replied.

"Also," I said with a struggling grin "Thanks for helping me."

"No problem."

He smiled as he walked off and tried to get a nurse. Finally, after trying my hardest to hang on, I blacked out. I woke up two minutes later, not quite feeling right. Eddie had been waiting on the nurse and dozed off, he must have figured I was trying to sleep or something. I stood up and saw my lifeless husk of a body in the hospital bed. I rubbed my own forehead and read Dolores' card. It broke my heart to hear such kind, hopeful words. I was dead now and I couldn't return to my body. Even if I tried some force beyond my control pushed me away from it. I saw a nurse coming toward our room. I panicked and ran out of the room on the verge of tears.

"Eddie I'm so sorry I didn't mean for it to end like," I paused as I heard Eddie groan then yell at the nurse and doctors. She rushed out to get tissues and more equipment to try and save me. I looked at her and I heard Eddie burst out sobbing after she returned and my pulse was checked. "This."

Several days passed and my funeral was held 5 days later. I stuck with Eddie until I was buried in the ground. He drank a-lot and Dolores showed great sympathy but ultimately none of it could convey their true sorrow. I couldn't stand the fact that I wasn't there to comfort him. I also noticed even after I was buried I didn't, well, see the gates of heaven so to speak. In fact I didn't really move beyond the graveyard. Maybe it was because of the promise I made. I was heart-broken especially when I discovered from other wandering ghosts that Eddie had gone to drinking. It was then when I finally turned to the isolation of the graveyard and hiding among the black roses.

There was only one thing I could ever say to myself,

"Edward George Valiant, get well soon."

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